Writing With Culture – The Insidious Pull of Pop Language

William Grimes of The New York Times discusses Leslie’ Savan’s new book, Slam Dunks and No-Brainers: Language in Your Life, the Media, Business, Politics, and, Like, Whatever (Knopf). Savan is horrified by the seepage into everyday speech of “pop language.” Pop language — hip phrases and lingo that is derived from advertisements and TV mostly — is even used by politicians and those who should know better, according to Savan. Grimes thinks Savan is too uptight and that pop language keeps language fresh and changing.

What do you think of the introduction of “everyday speech” into blogs and general writing? Do you tend to use popular jargon in your blogging prose, or do you clean it up for your reader? Should we speak leet or keep it clean and grammatically proper?

2 Comments

The tyrrany of language academicians is a constant thorn in the side of those who wish to communicate. Language is fluid, changing and evolving faster than any virus. Trying to keep language still is like trying to hold on to a single spot on a river… it cannot be done.

The rule should be that if your intended audience can understand what you are writing, then you have accomplished what you need to. The only time you should avoid any form of “everyday speech” or “jargon” or anything else is if it is something your intended audience will not understand. It is all about the context of your readers, and nothing else applies.

As far as writing intended for a “general audience” how can it be that a general audience won’t understand “everyday speech”. It seems to me that the language that speaks to people is the language that they speak.